Undergraduate Admission to the School of Journalism and Mass Communications

There are 3 categories or paths for admission to the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications (the J-School):

Path 1

Journalism School Scholars may declare a journalism major directly out of high school. They must

Have composite ACT scores of 30 or higher (1330 SAT-I scores) and

Have cumulative grade-point averages of 3.7 or higher and

Apply for admission and scholarships to KU, indicating a journalism major, by December 1.

Each year, 15 to 20 students are selected as Journalism School Scholars. They are eligible to receive scholarships from the school during the first year. Meeting the criteria above does not guarantee selection as a J-School Scholar. The selection process is competitive.

Path 2

Students will be considered for admission to the School of Journalism directly out of high school if they

Have composite ACT scores of 24 or higher (1090 SAT-I scores) and

Graduate from high school with grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher and

Apply to the J-School by the following deadlines:– Fall or summer: February 1– Spring: September 1

The conditions above are minimum requirements. Admission is competitive. If the school must set an admissions quota, students with the highest ACT (or SAT-I) scores and grade-point averages will be accepted.

Path 3

Transfer students and current KU students who do not declare journalism as their major during the first semester of the first year may apply for admission if they

Earn 24 or more credit hours (either at KU or another
institution) with grade-point averages of 2.5 or higher and

Complete or are enrolled in JOUR 101 Media and Society the semester of application and

Earn a C or higher in JOUR 101 (if applying while enrolled in
JOUR 101, admission is rescinded if a C or higher is not earned) and

Apply to the J-School by the following deadlines:– Fall or summer: February 1– Spring: September 1

Students applying with more than 60 hours of college credit (at KU, another institution, or a combination of both) must meet with a journalism adviser to determine their admission eligibility.

Admission is competitive. The number of students admitted each
semester depends on the number graduating in the preceding semester and
the school’s overall capacity. Candidate selection is based on
grade-point average. 90 percent of available spaces are filled by
the candidates with the highest KU cumulative grade-point averages. The
remaining 10 percent are selected from among those who petition before
the deadline, provided that the student has a minimum cumulative
grade-point average of 2.5. In reviewing petitions, the J-School considers
elements such as ACT scores, socioeconomic factors, academic progress,
and commitment to the profession. For admission, all grades in courses
taken and retaken at KU are used in calculating the grade-point average.
The school uses a student’s transfer cumulative grade-point average if
he or she does not have a KU cumulative grade-point average. The school
does not combine transfer and KU cumulative grade-point averages.

Requirements for Good Standing

Students admitted to the school must do the following in order to
remain in the school and in good standing:

Complete the first- and second-year requirements by the
beginning of junior year (fifth semester, not including summer
sessions).

Students failing to meet the conditions above are placed on probation
for one semester. If a student does not raise his or her cumulative and
journalism grade-point averages to 2.5, she or he is dropped from the
school.

*All students take the grammar test when admitted to the school. If
they do not earn a score of 75 or higher, they must take JOUR 002
Grammar and Usage and complete it with a C (2.0) or higher while
enrolled in JOUR 301. Students who do not have a 2.5 English grade-point
average must pass the grammar test with a score of 75 or above a second
time after completion of JOUR 301 in order to remain in the school.

*All students take the grammar test when admitted to the school. If they do not earn a score of 76 or higher, they must take JOUR 002 Grammar and Usage and complete it with a C (2.0) or higher while enrolled in JOUR 302. Students who do not have a 2.5 English grade-point average must pass the grammar test with a score of 75 or above a second time after completion of JOUR 301 in order to remain in the school.

Completion of a foreign language through the second course. Completion of a foreign language through the fourth course is required for graduation. Students should complete the foreign language requirement during the first 2 years.

Admission requirements are subject to change. A student’s first semester of college is the first semester in which he or she enrolls after high school graduation.